Early life
Samuel George "Sammy" Davis, Jr. was born in New York City, New York to Elvera Sanchez (1905-2000)[1], a Puerto Rican tap dancer, and Sammy Davis, Sr. (1900-1988), an African-American entertainer. The couple were both dancers in vaudeville. As an infant, he was raised by his paternal grandmother. When he was three years old, his parents split up. His father, not wanting to lose custody of his son, took him on tour. During his lifetime Sammy Davis, Jr. stated that his mother was Puerto Rican and born in San Juan.[2] As a child he learned how to dance from his father and his "uncle" Will Mastin, who led the dance troupe his father worked for. Davis joined the act as a young child and they became the Will Mastin Trio. Throughout his long career, Davis included the Will Mastin Trio in his billing.
Mastin and his father had shielded him from racism. Snubs were explained as jealousy, for instance. When Davis served in the United States Army during World War II however, he was confronted by strong racial prejudice. As he said later, "Overnight the world looked different. It wasn't one color anymore. I could see the protection I'd gotten all my life from my father and Will. I appreciated their loving hope that I'd never need to know about prejudice and hate, but they were wrong. It was as if I'd walked through a swinging door for eighteen years, a door which they had always secretly held open."
Career
While in the service, however, he joined an integrated entertainment Special Services unit, and found that the spotlight removed some of the prejudice. "My talent was the weapon, the power, the way for me to fight. It was the one way I might hope to affect a man's thinking," he said.[3]
Sammy Davis, Jr. (left) with Roy Wilkins (right) at the 1963 Civil Rights March on Washington, D.C.
After he was discharged, Davis rejoined the dance act which played at a wide variety of spots around Portland Oregon, and began to achieve success on his own as he was singled out for praise by critics. The next year, he released his second album. The next move in his growing career was to appear in the Broadway show Mr. Wonderful in 1956.
In 1959, he became a member of the Rat Pack, which was led by his old friend Frank Sinatra, and included such fellow performers as Dean Martin, Joey Bishop, Peter Lawford, and Shirley MacLaine. Initially, Sinatra called the gathering of fast-living friends "the Clan," but Sam voiced his opposition, saying that it invoked thoughts about the Ku Klux Klan. Sinatra renamed the group "the Summit"...but nevertheless, the media kept on calling it the Rat Pack all along.
Davis was a headliner at The Frontier Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada for many years, yet was required to accept accommodations in a rooming house on the west side of the city, rather than reside with his peers in the hotels, as were all black performers in the 1950s. For example, no stage dressing rooms were provided for black performers, so they were required to wait outside by the swimming pool between acts. [4]
During his early years in Las Vegas, he and other African-American artists like Nat King Cole and Count Basie could entertain on the stage, but often could not reside at the hotels at which they performed, and most definitely could not gamble in the casinos or go to the hotel restaurants and bars. After he achieved superstar success, Davis refused to work at venues which would practice racial segregation. His demands eventually led to the integration of Miami Beach nightclubs and Las Vegas casinos. Davis was particularly proud of this accomplishment. [5]
Although James Brown would claim the title of "Hardest Working Man in Show Business," the argument could be made that Sammy Davis, Jr. deserved it more. For example, in 1964 he was starring in Golden Boy at night and shooting his own New York-based afternoon talk show during the day. When he could get a day off from the theater, he would either be in the studio recording new songs, or else performing live, often at charity benefits as far away as Miami, Chicago and Las Vegas, or doing television variety specials in Los Angeles. Even at the time, Sam knew he was cheating his family of his company, but he couldn't help himself; as he later said, he was incapable of standing still.
Although still a huge draw in Las Vegas, Davis' musical career had sputtered out by the latter years of the 1960s, although he had a #11 hit (#1 on the Easy Listening singles chart) with "I've Gotta Be Me" in 1969. An attempt to update his sound and reconnect with younger people resulted in some embarrassing "hip" musical efforts with the Motown record label.[6] But then, even as his career seemed at its nadir, Sammy had an unexpected worldwide smash hit with "Candy Man". Although he didn't particularly care for the song and was chagrined that he was now best known for it, Davis made the most of his new opportunity and revitalized his career. Although he enjoyed no more Top 40 hits, he did enjoy some extra popularity with his performance of the theme song from the T.V. series Baretta (1975-1978) which was not released as a single but was given extensive radio play and he remained a successful live act beyond Vegas for the remainder of his career. He would still occasionally land television and film parts, including high profile visits to the All in the Family series playing himself. In the 1970s, he also appeared in a series of memorable commercials in Japan for Suntory whiskey.
On December 11, 1967, NBC broadcast a musical-variety special entitled Movin' With Nancy. In addition to the Emmy Award-winning musical performances, the show is famous for Nancy Sinatra and Sammy Davis, Jr. greeting each other with a kiss, one of the first black-white kisses in U.S. television history.[7]
In Japan, Davis appeared in television commercials for coffee, and in the U.S. he joined Sinatra and Martin in a radio commercial for a Chicago car dealership.
Davis was one of the first male celebrities to admit to watching television soap operas, particularly the shows produced by the American Broadcasting Company. This admission led to him making a cameo appearance on General Hospital and playing the recurring character Chip Warren on One Life to Live for which he received a Daytime Emmy nomination in 1980. He was also a game show fan, making a cameo on the ABC version of Family Feud in 1979, and hosting a question with Richard Dawson watching from the sidelines. He appeared on Tattletales with third wife Altovise Davis in the 1970s. He also made a cameo during an episode of the NBC version of Card Sharks in 1981.
Davis was an avid photographer who enjoyed shooting family and acquaintances. His body of work was detailed in a 2007 book by Burt Boyar. "Jerry [Lewis] gave me my first important camera, my first 35 millimeter, during the Ciro's period, early '50s," Boyar quotes Davis. "And he hooked me." Davis used a medium format camera later on to capture images. Again quoting Davis, "Nobody interrupts a man taking a picture to ask... 'What's that nigger doin' here?' ". His catalogue of photos include rare shots of his father dancing onstage as part of the Will Mastin Trio. Also, intimate snapshots of close friends: Jerry Lewis, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, James Dean, Nat "King" Cole and Marilyn Monroe. His political affiliations also were represented in his images of: Robert Kennedy, Jackie Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr. His most revealing work comes in photographs of wife May Britt and their three children, Tracey, Jeff and Mark.
(Credit Wikipidia.org)
Too Darn Hot
Sammy Davis Jr. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's too darn hot
I'd like to sup with my baby tonight
And play the pup with my baby tonight
I'd like to sup with my baby tonight
And play the pup with my baby tonight
But I ain't up to my baby tonight
It's too darn hot
It's too darn hot
I'd like to stop for my baby tonight
And blow my top with my baby tonight
I'd like to stop with my baby tonight
And blow my top with my baby tonight
But I'd be a flop with my baby tonight
Cause it's too darn hot,
It's too darn hot
It's too darn hot
I'd like to fool with my baby tonight
Break every rule with my baby tonight
I'd like to fool with my baby tonight
Break every rule with my baby tonight
But pillow you'll be my baby tonight
Cause it's too darn hot
It's too darn hot
According to the Kinsey report
Every average man you know
Much prefers to play his favorite sport
When the temperature is low
But when the thermometer goes way up
And the weather is sizzling hot
Mister Adam for his madam is not
Cause it's too too
It's too darn hot, it's too darn hot
It's too too too too darn hot
I'd like to call on my baby tonight
And give my all to my baby tonight
I'd like to call on my baby tonight
And give my all to my baby tonight
But I can't play ball with my baby tonight
Cause it's too darn hot
It's too darn hot
I'd like to meet with my baby tonight
Get off my feet with my baby tonight
I'd like to meet with my baby tonight
Get off my feet with my baby tonight
But no repeat with my baby tonight
Cause it's too darn hot
It's too darn hot
I'd like to coo with my baby tonight
And pitch some woo with my baby tonight
I'd like to coo with my baby tonight
And pitch some woo with my baby tonight
But sister you fight my baby tonight
Cause it's too darn hot
It's too darn hot
According to the Kinsey report
Every average man you know
Much prefers to play his favorite sport
When the temperature is low
But when the thermometer goes way up
And the weather is sizzling hot
Mister GOB for his squab,
A marine for his queen
A G.I. for his cutie-pie is not
Cause it's too too too darn hot
It's too darn hot
It's too darn hot
In Sammy Davis Jr.'s song Too Darn Hot, the singer is trying to express his frustration about the heat, which is preventing him from enjoying time with his girlfriend. The lyrics talk about wanting to have a romantic dinner (“sup with my baby”), engage in playful activities (“play the pup”), and be intimate (“pitch some woo”) with his significant other. However, the heat is making him too uncomfortable to follow through on these desires. The song also references the Kinsey report, a study about human sexuality from the 1950s, which suggests that men prefer to engage in sexual activity when the temperature is low.
The repetition of the phrase “it’s too darn hot” emphasizes the discomfort that the heat is causing, and the use of colloquialisms, such as “blow my top,” “coo,” and “squab,” add a playful and romantic tone to the song. The lyrics express the feeling of being thwarted by an uncontrollable external force, echoing the feeling of being trapped in unbearable conditions.
Overall, "Too Darn Hot" is a sonically delightful song that combines jazz, swing, and traditional show tunes. It showcases Sammy Davis Jr.'s unparalleled talent as a performer, as he effortlessly combines humor, romance, and frustration in his vocal delivery.
Line by Line Meaning
It's too darn hot
The weather is unpleasantly hot
It's too darn hot
The weather is still unpleasantly hot
I'd like to sup with my baby tonight
And play the pup with my baby tonight
I'd like to sup with my baby tonight
And play the pup with my baby tonight
But I ain't up to my baby tonight
Cause it's too darn hot
It's too darn hot
It's too darn hot
I want to have dinner with and fool around with my partner, but I am too uncomfortable due to the heat
I'd like to stop for my baby tonight
And blow my top with my baby tonight
I'd like to stop with my baby tonight
And blow my top with my baby tonight
But I'd be a flop with my baby tonight
Cause it's too darn hot,
It's too darn hot
It's too darn hot
I want to flirt and have fun with my partner, but I cannot perform well due to the heat making me feel unwell
I'd like to fool with my baby tonight
Break every rule with my baby tonight
I'd like to fool with my baby tonight
Break every rule with my baby tonight
But pillow you'll be my baby tonight
Cause it's too darn hot
It's too darn hot
I want to be mischievous and break the rules with my partner, but I will be too tired and sleepy to do so because of the heat
According to the Kinsey report
Every average man you know
Much prefers to play his favorite sport
When the temperature is low
But when the thermometer goes way up
And the weather is sizzling hot
Mister Adam for his madam is not
Cause it's too too
It's too darn hot, it's too darn hot
It's too too too too darn hot
Men prefer to indulge in sports when the weather is cooler, but when it is too hot, they cannot even satisfy their partners
I'd like to call on my baby tonight
And give my all to my baby tonight
I'd like to call on my baby tonight
And give my all to my baby tonight
But I can't play ball with my baby tonight
Cause it's too darn hot
It's too darn hot
I want to spend time with my partner and give my best effort, but I cannot play sports or engage in physical activities due to the heat
I'd like to meet with my baby tonight
Get off my feet with my baby tonight
I'd like to meet with my baby tonight
Get off my feet with my baby tonight
But no repeat with my baby tonight
Cause it's too darn hot
It's too darn hot
I want to see my partner and relax, but I cannot repeat as I will be too exhausted from the heat to perform again
I'd like to coo with my baby tonight
And pitch some woo with my baby tonight
I'd like to coo with my baby tonight
And pitch some woo with my baby tonight
But sister you fight my baby tonight
Cause it's too darn hot
It's too darn hot
I want to be charming with my partner and flirt, but my partner will be too irritated to participate due to the heat
According to the Kinsey report
Every average man you know
Much prefers to play his favorite sport
When the temperature is low
But when the thermometer goes way up
And the weather is sizzling hot
Mister GOB for his squab,
A marine for his queen
A G.I. for his cutie-pie is not
Cause it's too too too darn hot
It's too darn hot
It's too darn hot
Even men in relationships with women with different titles (as in Mister for his madam, GOB for his squab, marine for his queen, and G.I. for his cutie-pie) are unable to fulfill their desires due to the excessive heat.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: COLE PORTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
L
this is terrific. Mel Torme has another great version. Thanks for posting.
BruceTheSillyGoose
SING IT! he RULES this song! RIP.
Michael Holland
Djean Schna, the version by a woman is probably Ella Fitzgerald's amazing version. She is incredible, and Sammy is great too here, but Ella wins out due to her stellar emotional take on the song, and her superior technical abilities too! Sammy was no slouch, it's obvious he was incredible, but Ella was one in a billion, where Sammy was one in ten million! Is that all LOL:-)
Susan Graham
+Michael Holland Sorry pal Sammy overpowers Ella with the swingin' class act never underestimate the MASTER!
CATWITCHJudie
YEAHH, it swingsssss :)
TeePeeB
Dynamite!
Michael Kayfes
Couldn't be that hot, not even if the house was burning down, no way
super-cool song anyway though